Mavs get Florida commit

In recent years, Minnesota State's roster has been quite the melting pot, with players representing several U.S. states. In a year or two, the Mavericks will be able to check Florida off their list. They recently received a verbal commitment from Nathan Smith, a forward currently with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Proud to announce my commitment to play D1 college hockey for @MavHockey . Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. #gomavs

— Nate Smith (@smithnate66) September 2, 2017

Smith, a 6-foot-0, 174-pounder, was born in Hudson, Florida, part of the Tampa area, in 1998. With the NHL's Lightning making their debut just six years earlier, it should be no surprise that hockey has grown in that area of the country.

You can see Smith's high school stats here.